"Be Careful"

Of course the news of the death of Bin Laden surprised me. Ten years after 9/11 and after George Bush stated in 2004 that Bin Laden was no longer a priority (Iraq was); I just assumed getting him was not going to happen unless he stupidly stumbled into our hands somewhere. However something else surprised me more than the report of Bin Laden's death.

All the cheering outside the White House, Times Square, (locally)Coronado, and other locations in America really surprised me. The cheering, flag waving, chanting and burning pictures of Bin Laden seemed too over the top for me. I get the significance of pay back and getting him off the planet but we should be more careful with the celebrations. Why? It's not like the other terrorists in the Taliban and Al Quaeda are going to let this pass. They will likely feel the need to do something dramatic in his name. The more we cheer, the more they could be determined to make a big statement. It's one thing to take him out (even terroists understand the miltary concept of that) but it's another thing to rub it in. I don't care about their feelings, I care about their reactions.

Plus, one other thing: I always see other (less sophisticated) countries doing the public spectacle thing after they've killed people. Aren't they the ones burning effigys, stamping on airplane debris, chanting death to america. Let's don't be like them. Let's just show a steely resolve that if you come after us, especially on our soil, you will go down sooner or (if need be) later.